It is known that Lewis acids such as ferric chloridehexahydrate and aluminum chloride are catalysts for the polymerization of lower molecular weight siloxanes to gums for use in making siloxane elastomers. This reaction was first set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,756. The reaction involves the condensation of silanol groups and the rearrangement of silicon-oxygen-silicon bonds. It is also known that zinc chloride catalyzes the reaction of acyl anhydrides or carboxylic acids with siloxanes to produce acyl-ended organopolysiloxanes. This reaction involves the splitting of a siloxane bond. However, as far as applicants can determine no one has taught the interconversion of stereoisomers as hereinafter defined.
It is the object of this invention to provide a commercially feasible method of converting one stereoisomer of cyclic organosiloxanes into another stereoisomer without disturbing the order of siloxane units in the molecule or increasing the molecular weight of the siloxane.